ever did men fight better, but numbers bore them down--the
struggle was in vain, the colonel was first struck down, and the master
directly after, and though the two mates continued fighting some time
afterwards, one being killed and the other wounded, the survivors gave
way, and were either driven down below or overboard.

The tall figure of the pirate leader was the most conspicuous in the
fight.

"The brig is ours!" he exclaimed, as he took up his post at the top of
the companion steps. "But she is too slow a sailer to be of any use to
us; we will therefore take the most valuable part of her cargo on board,
and desert her. We have no time to lose; for all this firing may have
been heard by some British cruiser, who will be down upon us before
long--Now, Paolo, follow me."

The pirate crew instantly got the hatches off, and set to work to select
what they considered most valuable, and to transfer it to their own
vessel.

Ada Garden had often read of tempests at sea, of shipwrecks, and
battles; but it had never occurred to her that she might some day
witness their horrors, or suffer from their dreadful effects. Now the
reality of the scenes she had before pictured to herself, as events
passed by, and unlikely again to happen, was palpably displayed before
her. She had scarcely recovered from the terrors of the the storm when
her uncle came below, and, with unusual tenderness in his manner urged
her not to be alarmed at the noise of the guns which were about to be
fired; at the same time speaking with confidence of their ultimate
success. Though she trembled with anxiety at what she heard, she
promised not to give way to fear, and entreated to be allowed to come on
deck. To this he of course would on no consideration consent, and after
much argument, and by showing her the useless danger she would run, he
made her promise that nothing should induce her to leave the cabin till
he himself came down to summon her. She again had recourse to her
Bible, and, with Marianna sitting at her feet, she endeavoured to calm
her mind, and to banish her terror as she had done during the gale.
Except from the occasional discharge of the guns there was now, perhaps,
much less to cause her alarm, if she could have helped thinking of the
possible result; but this, notwithstanding her uncle's assurances, she
could not do; for she understood too well the great superiority of the
pirate vessel; and though she knew that her countrym